What Happens in Vegas
by mccabebabe
Summary: a string of 'missing scenes' that explain the absence of Reid in season 11, episodes 8, 9 and 10 more to my liking than the excuse the producers provided
1. Chapter 1

What Happens In Vegas

(A CM fiction. A string of missing scenes that would better explain the absence of Reid in season 11 episodes 8, 9, 10)

The sound of the phone vibrating caught her attention and she reached over to the nightstand to read it. The time – 2 49 am—caused a grimace to cross her face but she picked the offending device up anyway and read the text it offered. Instantly, the young blonde woman was up, and rushed over to her desk to flip on her computer after replying hurriedly to the text.

She spent several minutes searching online for a flight, found one, paid for it and loaded the paperless ticket onto her phone. Heading into the bathroom, she quickly showered and did her makeup then padded into the kitchen. She made her first coffee of the day, gulped down a bowl of cereal and dug her suitcase out of the hall closet. After wheeling it down to the bedroom, she packed it full of clothes and cosmetics, then rang for a taxi and went downstairs to the apartment lobby to wait for it.

The BAU agents milled around Agent Jennifer Jareau's desk, nursing their coffees and listening to her tell them about the arrival of baby Michael's first tooth. It was early; Hotch was already in his office and the door was closed. Agents Derek Morgan, David Rossi and Tara Lewis laughed as JJ talked about the baby and the four of them stopped talking when the young blonde woman suddenly entered the bullpen area. Obviously she'd passed security to make it this far, but she looked lost as she approached them.

"Uh, excuse me, but could you direct me to Agent Hotchner's office please?" her eyes took in the entire room but she couldn't detect which one would be Hotch's without circumnavigating the entire area and decided asking someone would be faster.

Morgan answered by indicating, and showed her up the steps, knocking on Hotch's door when they arrived.

She murmured her thanks, and as Hotch opened the door, he immediately broke into a smile, acknowledged Morgan, but ushered in only the woman, shutting the door behind them.

Back at JJ's desk, the others watched and wondered who this woman was and what was going on. Morgan rejoined them commenting that she and Hotch obviously knew each other but he had no idea who she was or why she was here. They watched through the office window as the woman and Hotch spoke, and shook hands after the woman handed him an envelope. She nodded in agreement with something Hotch said to her, and then broke into a smile as Hotch hugged her. Again they shook hands, and the woman turned to leave, Hotch took out his phone and made a call.

Hotch assembled the unit members in the conference room, handed Garcia the remote for the smart board and told the group he had a plane to catch and was leaving Morgan in charge of the case Garcia was about to present. Five pairs of eyes were left to look to each other wondering what was so important that it was calling Hotchner away from their case. As the group left to work on their latest case, Garcia, along with her assigned protective agent who had just arrived, headed into her office to support the team.

She settled into her seat by the window above the wing of the plane, yawned and closed her eyes, hoping for a nap. The three am wake up was catching up with her and she craved a little more sleep. She had a four and a half hour flight ahead of her, plenty of time to sleep she hoped. Fortunately her seatmate, an older woman with a Judith Krantz novel in her hands, seemed to be amenable to not being engaged in conversation. The steady thrum of the plane's engines soon soothed her into dreamland.

Hotch had gone home to pack a few items and explain his upcoming absence to Jack and ended up on a later flight. Giving his son a firm hug and kiss, he promised he'd be home in time for the child's Saturday morning soccer game. Settling into his seat, he pulled out his cell phone and texted Morgan, asking for an update on the case. He read the response, but ignored Morgan's inquiry about his whereabouts and destination, and instead sent a new text message to Spencer Reid.

"I'll be back in a couple of hours, I'm just going to the airport to pick someone up," he explained to the woman at the nursing station. "Please let my mom know I'm only gonna be a little while if she wakes up and wonders where I am."

"Of course, Dr. Reid," she smiled up at him.

Garcia punched a few keys on the computer keyboard and made a face when the search results came in. She called Morgan.

"I did a search, My Prince, and found out where Hotch is going. I know I probably shouldn't do that, but we were all wondering. He was being so cagey-"

"Where'd he go Baby Girl?" Morgan interrupted her.

"Vegas, Derek. He went to Las Vegas."

"Reid!" they said together, Garcia's mind conjuring up all sorts of terrible scenarios as to why Hotch would be called suddenly to Las Vegas. Her face fell, she was used to being such a positive person but the current Dirty Dozen case coupled with the apparent deterioration of Reid's mother's condition weighed heavily on her and she found herself near tears.

"Let's not be jumping to any conclusions Princess, maybe it's good news."

She nodded, then murmured affirmatively and returned to her work on the case.


	2. Chapter 2

Hotchner smiled slightly as he read the text and replied, then set the phone aside and pulled out the envelope his earlier visitor had given him. He read through the papers inside then picked up his phone again and sent another text.

Reid walked through the airport concourse until he found the gate her flight was assigned to, then sat down and waited, sipping at the coffee he'd bought a few minutes earlier.

Checking the flight status board, he noted 'on time' for her flight and then took out his cell phone and saw he had a number of texts waiting for him. Navigating through them, he answered hers, and the one from Hotch, but ignored the few others that waited there. That done, he settled in to wait for her plane to land.

The BAU team delivered their profile to the local police department and law enforcement concluded the investigation with a quick and relatively uneventful arrest. Morgan and the team headed back to the office, stopping first for some takeout dinner and ensuring they ordered enough food to include Garcia and her protector as well.

Rossi was driving the SUV, Morgan sat next to him while Lewis and Jareau sat in the back, discussing the case. Morgan was uncharacteristically quiet and this didn't escape Rossi's notice. Once back in their bullpen, and after the food had been distributed, Morgan headed into his office. Rossi followed.

"Gonna tell me what's up Morgan?"

Morgan sighed as he sat down, setting the food container on the desk in front of him, and pulled his cell phone from his pocket. Waving it around he said, "I texted Reid. Three times now in the last twenty-four hours, and I get no reply. He got the texts, cause the phone shows me they've been seen."

"He's busy, Derek. Don't take it personally."

"It's not that, Rossi. He was in touch a couple days ago. And now Hotch has gone to Las Vegas too. I'm just wondering what's up. Hope everything's okay in Pretty Bo-, er, Reid's family."

Rossi nodded.

"I called Hotch, let him know we've completed this case. Asked him if it was okay to give everyone tomorrow off. He started to say something about Reid, Rossi, and then he stopped and just said yes of course, we've all earned it."

She came through the arrival gate, reclaimed her suitcase and headed through the doors to the concourse, smiling broadly when her eyes found Spencer standing by the barrier waiting for her.

Despite her awareness that he wasn't overly fond of public displays of affection, she dropped the handle of her suitcase and threw her arms up around his neck in an exuberant hug. To her surprise, he not only returned the hug, he surprised her with a considerably substantive kiss, which she was more than happy to return.

"I've missed you," she whispered against his hair. Kissing the top of her head, he replied in kind. Then taking hold of her suitcase, he led the way out of the airport to his waiting car.

"I hope you don't mind that I told Agent Hotchner," she started.

He shook his head. "Of course not. But he called me. He's coming out too. Missing a case to come out and see me," Reid was mystified.

"He cares, Spencer. You're not just a team member to him, you're like family."

He smiled slightly, puzzled but pleased that his boss was actually dropping work and travelling thousands of miles to be there with him in person.

"When does his flight get in?"

"Not until later, but he said not to come pick him up, he'd grab a cab," Reid answered. "He wants us to spend the time with my mom, not coming back and forth to the airport."

She nodded. "And how's your mom doing, Spence?"

"You'll see for yourself, we're going there now and you can finally meet her."

"I'll stay here with you tonight, Baby Girl," Morgan announced, dismissing her protective agent for the night. After placing a takeout container in front of her, Morgan sat down next to her and proceeded to help himself to an eggroll.

"Sir Hotch said we could all have tomorrow off?" Garcia asked, wanting confirmation of what she'd heard earlier. Morgan nodded. "Did he say why he was going to see Reid?" Morgan shook his head. She pursed her lips and wondered again why Hotch was being so secretive.

A knock on the door woke Reid up. He'd taken her to their hotel room after meeting his mother. One thing led to another and they'd ended up making love and falling asleep entangled in each other's arms. It was just past 8 pm and Reid realised Hotch's plane had probably arrived by now. Hastily throwing on his pants he moved to the door. His suspicion was confirmed when he opened it and found his unit chief standing there.

"Just wanted you to know I've made it. I'm just down the hall, Reid, in room 1445." Reid nodded acknowledgment and again thanked Hotchner for dropping everything and coming.

"Did you guys eat dinner already?" he asked. Again Reid nodded.

"Okay. Well. Then I'll see you in the morning?"

"Yeah, let's meet downstairs for breakfast tomorrow morning before we head over to Bennington's. And," he paused before extending his hand for a handshake, "Thanks for everything, Hotch."

"Anytime, Rei-Spencer."

The weekend passed and Monday morning, the BAU members assembled in the office first thing. Hotchner, who'd flown back from Vegas late Friday night to keep his promise to Jack, was in his office perusing reports and signing them.

Garcia, with her protective agent next to her, was busy at her computer. Rossi, Morgan, Lewis and Jareau were congregated around Jareau's desk, armed with coffees. Jareau was on her phone with her husband. Hotchner had not shared a word about his visit with Reid. And by now, Morgan, especially, was a little annoyed. He had still not received any replies to his texts to Reid.

"None of you have heard from him either?" he ventured.

Lewis and Jareau shook their heads. "Not since the day he left, no." Rossi replied. "What is it, Morgan? What's up?"

"I don't know. Obviously Hotch knows something, I have no idea when or if he's gonna share-" he stopped midsentence when the elevator door opened and Reid stepped off, holding hands with the same woman they'd seen in Hotchner's office on Wednesday morning.

There was a wide smile on Reid's face. Furrowed brows on Morgan and Rossi and a look of confusion on Lewis' face greeted him. JJ quickly concluded her phone call. Hotchner saw them through the office window and came down to acknowledge them.

"Thanks again for your help, Agent Hotchner," she said extending her hand for him to shake. "But now I have to get back to work," she turned to kiss Reid goodbye, whispering a quick 'see you later.'

He followed her with his eyes as the elevator closed behind her. His colleagues quickly circled Reid.

Morgan stepped forward, "All right, all right welcome back," he said, clapping Reid on the shoulder. "But, OUT with it, Kid. What's going on?"

Reid and Hotchner shared a secret smile.

"You didn't even introduce us." Morgan complained.

"She knows who you all are," Reid replied, rubbing his jaw absently with his left hand.

"Reid! Welcome back! What's going on here?" Garcia tottered down the stairs to join them, enveloping Reid in a hug.

"Hotch?" Morgan redirected his inquiry. Rossi's face registered his suspicions but he smiled and watched Morgan squirm. Hotch threw up his hands, "What happens in Vegas…" he trailed off.

"Oh my God!" JJ interjected, reaching for Reid's left hand. "It IS! You got married?!" She held up his hand, with the new ring upon it, for all to see, before throwing her arms around him in a huge hug.

Morgan frowned for just an instant. "In Vegas? Without us?" and as soon as he said it, he realised, 'Oh, for your mom! That's awesome, Kid."

"We need to celebrate," Rossi announced, as they all extended their congratulations, "Glad to have you back, Reid, I think we all missed you."


End file.
